ECE Content Exam Practice Questions

A first grade teacher learns that his class for the upcoming school year will include students from various cultural backgrounds with a number of home languages.  The teacher wants to create an inclusive and respectful learning environment for the class.  Which of the following teacher steps is likely to be most effective in promoting this goal?

• 1. Planning a variety of activities for the first day of school centered around helping the students get to know each other. 

• 1. Incorporating words from the students various home languages into daily lessons throughout the year

• Including books, music and photographs in the classroom environment that originate from the student’s cultures.

• 1. Asking the student’s families to send in objects from home that reflect their culture to include in classroom activities.

Answer explanation

teacher has control over versatility of materials

A nine-month-old infant with a physical delay is referred to early intervention services.  The primary purpose of early intervention services is to:

• Promote access to supportive resources for families of babies and young children who are at risk for or who have disabilities or delays

• Support parents in celebrating their child’s developmental milestones and learn how to promote their child’s strengths.

• Ensure that infants and toddlers learn the skills that typically develop during the first three years of life

• Provide parents with information about young children with disabilities

Answer explanation

We know “at risk” typically is representative of early intervention. We also know that services include resources

An early childhood teacher works with children that range in age from infants to preschoolers.  When working with a six-week-old infant, it is imperative that the teacher

• 1. Provide the infant with developmentally appropriate toys

• Balance periods of stimulation with quiet time

• Socialize the infant by engaging her with other babies

• Ensures the infant rests during predetermined times.

Answer explanation

Six weeks old need a BALANCE of stimulation and quiet time

Children who range in age from infants to preschoolers will have needs that are very different from each other. Six-week-old infants need stimulation to learn about the world around them. They also need quiet time to rest and grow, and to avoid becoming overstimulated. By attuning to the infant's natural rhythms (e.g., awake time, sleep time, feeding time), the teacher can build the infants security that she is safe and her needs will be fulfilled.

Which of the following is an essential component of a formative assessment?

• the development of a timeline designating tasks that will be accomplished by a particular student in a given period of time

• identifying and summarizing an individual student's strengths and needs at the end of a unit or semester

• the production of behavioral and academic progress reports that incorporate parental or caregiver insights

• monitoring and adjusting a teaching strategy during the learning process based on individual student progress

Answer explanation

The goal of formative assessment is to monitor student learning to provide ongoing feedback.

During an informal assessment, a kindergarten teacher asks a child to demonstrate what he knows about books. The child points at words on the front cover and says, “This is the name of the book.” The child then opens the book and says, “I can read it like this.” Holding the book correctly, the child opens the cover and begins telling a story while pointing to the words on the pages.  On the last page the child says, “the end”.  The child’s actions suggest that he is beginning to understand:

• One-to-one correspondence

• Concepts about print

• Morphological awareness

• Phonics generalizations

Answer explanation

Concepts about print refers to the awareness of how print works.

A first-grade teacher wants to plan instruction for her students based on their individual strengths and needs.  Which of the following evaluations would be most effective for this purpose?

• Diagnostic assessments

• 1. Norm-referenced assessments

• 1. Anecdotal records

• 1. Portfolio records

The National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) and the Division for Early Childhood (DEC) advocate the use of authentic assessment practices as the primary approach for assessing young children.  Which of the following activities is an example of an authentic assessment an early childhood teacher may use to assess children in her class?

• 1. Comparing and documenting the communications skills of each child during play

• 1. Observing and documenting a child’s sharing and play skills during choice time

• 1. Using flash card drills once a week to track progress with their sound and letter skills

• 1. Checking in regularly with parents to document home progress in social skills

Answer explanation

Authentic assessment is the documentation and analysis of a students actual work collected over time in his or her real-world environment. A teacher tracks a students accomplishments to show success and growth over time by collecting sample portfolios and making observations in the natural environment. Assessing children in an environment that is familiar allows children to be more confident and increases the likelihood that the assessment results reflect an accurate measure of the children's capabilities.

An early childhood teacher is designing a learning environment for three- and four-year-olds to promote autonomy.  Which of the following design features would be most important for the teacher to include?

• 1. Visual cues for placement of materials to encourage children to clean up after activities 

• 1. Quality materials and supplies that relate to preschool curriculum 

• 1. Arrangement of learning centers to suggest the optimal number of children who can use them at a given time 

• Well-defined learning centers that give children opportunities to make choices about activities

A preschool teacher has a number of children in her class who will be attending school for the first time.  The teacher wants to help the children feel safe and confident in their new classroom environment.  Which of the following practices would most effectively achieve this goal?

• 1. Playing songs and games throughout the day that are familiar to the children

• 1. Placing a picture of parents/guardians or other family members in each of the children’s cubbies

• 1. Establishing expected procedures in the children’s daily learning schedule 

• 1. Including a job chart with various tasks for which children are responsible

Answer explanation

when students can anticipate what will happen next throughout the day, they feel safe and confident in their ability to navigate the tasks throughout the day

A preschool teacher has set up an open-ended sand and water center in her classroom. The teacher includes a variety of materials in the center, including small shovels, buckets, sifters, measuring cups and spoons, shells, twigs and plastic animals.  The teacher’s approach reflects the principle that materials in the center should:

• 1. Offer a range of experiences to meet the varied developmental levels of children in class

• 1. Be varied and changed daily to maintain the children’s interest.

• 1. Promote children’s understanding of the necessary steps to keep the center organized

• 1. Teach children about the relationships among the sciences

Answer explanation

Open - ended and a variety offers a range of experiences and meets the varied needs of children!